In this paper we argue that the literature underestimates the value of primaries, because it focuses on overall average effects. The value of primaries is likely to vary across situations. We argue that primary elections are most needed in safe constituencies, where one party’s candidate will have a large advantage in the general election – even if that party’s candidate is “low quality”. In sa...

the study of decentralization in fiji shows that increasing capacities is not necessarily related to increasing decision space of local officials, which is in contrast with earlier studies in pakistan. future studies should address the relationship among decision space, capacities, and health system performance.

This article analyzes trust in public institutions. In both theoretical literature and empirical research, a link between social trust and institutional trust has been established. Specifically, this paper casts additional light on this relationship. Moreover, it tests whether institutional trust is dependent on citizens’ perceptions of how well institutions live up to normative expectations he...

US health officials said yesterday that their agencies do not have enough money to respond to the threat to public health posed by the Zika virus and called on Congress to appropriate the $1.9bn (£1.3bn; €1.7bn) in emergency funding that President Barack Obama requested. The president sought the funding in February, but Republicans in Congress, who control the House of Representatives and the S...

Recognizing that planners' decisions affect the public's health, some public health officials are becoming more involved in city and regional planning. This article describes city and regional planning fundamentals to help public health practitioners better understand plan making and plan implementation, including the development project review process; provides examples of how three local publ...

In this briefing, we explore the extent to which local government officials (LGOs) in Indiana support a collaborative relationship between local government and nonprofits as opposed to one where government controls nonprofits. We also examine possible explanations for why LGOs may support collaboration, including whether their personal involvement with nonprofits plays a role and how important ...

Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.